Indian High Commission in Pak cancels R-Day event

The decision comes amid tension in the Indo-Pak ties in the aftermath of the Mumbai terror attacks. See special.

The Indian High Commission on Wednesday cancelled a planned Republic Day celebration at a top hotel in the Pakistani capital citing "unavoidable circumstances".

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The January 26 event has been cancelled due to "unavoidable circumstances", High Commission officials told PTI, but did not elaborate.

The decision comes amid tension in the Indo-Pak ties in the aftermath of the Mumbai terror attacks.

The Indian High Commission had this year planned to hold the celebrations at the Serena Hotel instead of the usual venue Marriott Hotel, which reopened last month after being devastated in a suicide bombing on September 20 that claimed about 60 lives.

On January 26, 2007, a suicide bomber tried to storm the Marriott Hotel hours before the Indian High Commissioner was to hold a Republic Day reception there. The attacker triggered the blast at the entrance, killing himself and a security guard and injuring seven others.